Rail

Phoenix celebrates progress on light rail system

Last weekend, Arizona’s Northwest Phoenix community, along with national and local officials and Valley Metro, celebrated the significant construction progress on the 3.2-mile Northwest Phoenix light rail extension. The First Track Celebration, on 19th Avenue, commemorated a significant milestone as the project nears the halfway point.

"The Valley’s light rail system is one of the most successful in the country, ranking at the top in ridership,” said U.S. Congressman Ed Pastor, who was joined by Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and others at the celebration. “We’re not going to stop here. We’re going to continue to build a regional transit system that will serve our growing community.”

Local residents and businesses enjoyed Saturday’s celebration, which featured a “state fair” midway with games, food, construction equipment and entertainment. Guests watched as elected officials placed the ceremonial plaque in the area where the first track was laid. Everyone in attendance also received a commemorative milestone magnet, the second of five in a series.

The Northwest Phoenix light rail extension will extend light rail from Montebello to Dunlap avenues and is expected to open in 2016.

This contract includes high voltage cabling from the state grid for the new 16-mile metro line. Alstom is the main supplier of Kochi metro after it has been awarded previous orders for 25 Metropolis trainsets, signalling, telecom and electrification. Commercial service is scheduled to begin in March 2016.

The contract, which is for a ten-year period with the option to extend another 5 years, covers maintenance and spare parts on 74 four-car Class 357 ELECTROSTAR trains and is valued at approximately $213 million.

The train wreck, which occurred in the early morning of March 24, 2014, when the operator allegedly fell asleep, injured more than 30 people and caused roughly $9 million in damage. The lead railcar had to be cut up to remove it from the escalator.